Contract
The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) envisages awarding a low-value contract for the preparation of a set of policy briefs on the use of long-term care and childcare services. Drawing on data from the second wave of EIGE’s EU‑wide CARE Survey 2024 and complemented by additional research, the contractor will produce two policy briefs that translate survey findings into actionable policy messages. In addition, the contractor will prepare an analytical report examining the links between care, EU competitiveness and gender equality.
Requested services
The second wave of EIGE’s CARE survey provides updated and comparable data on how women and men in all their diversity across the EU organise and experience unpaid care, housework, the use of informal and formal care services, and their leisure time. Conducted in 2024 across all 27 EU Member States with over 65.000 respondents, the survey captures the impact of unpaid care responsibilities on people’s daily lives, employment, well-being and access to services.
Two policy briefs will be produced based on the CARE survey data analysis and additional research. The first will focus on long-term care and the use of formal care services, while the second will focus on childcare services. Among other aspects, both policy briefs will analyse patterns of access to formal care services, the intensity of informal care, the reasons for unmet care needs, and the consequences for employment, work-life balance and well-being of carers across various social groups. The policy briefs will aim to translate the CARE survey findings into actionable policy recommendations that support the implementation of key EU frameworks, including the European Care Strategy, the Work-Life Balance Directive and the EU Competitiveness Compass.
An additional thematic report will focus on care and competitiveness. Using the CARE survey data and secondary sources, this report will research the economic rationale for investing in care, highlighting links between care deficits, gender employment gaps and EU-level competitiveness. The analysis will include modelling and estimation methods (e.g. the estimation of the economic value of unpaid care or the assessment of the impact of various work-life balance measures, such as access to services or flexible working, on gender employment gaps).
Procedure
This ex-ante publicity is the first stage of the negotiated procurement procedure through which EIGE may award the above-mentioned contract.
All parties interested in providing the services described above should express their interest in EIGE/2026/OPER/01 through the Funding and Tenders portal, by 17/02/2026.
Economic operators who do not express their interest before the deadline and to the address above may not be invited to submit an offer. The latter restriction will not apply to the minimum of three economic operators directly invited by EIGE.
This publication constitutes no obligation for EIGE to launch the mentioned procurement procedure.
Following the potential expression of interest and launch of procedure, the invited candidates may only submit a joint tender (i.e. consortium) with other economic operators only if they have expressed interest in the planned procedure as a consortium.
We look forward to receiving your declaration of interest.